Clasp



M. RAUER CLASP Fi'led May 19, 1939 Y INVENTOR. MILDREDLEYERS BAUER,

Patented Dec. 16, 1941 STAT FEE

CLASP. Mildred Leyers Bauer, Hohokus, N. J.

Application May 19, 1939, Serial No. 274,507

2 Claims.

My invention relates to a clasp used for jewelry and particularly for jewelry having strings such as beads of pearls and the like and has among its purposes and objects to provide:

A means of quickly changing the number and style of the strings relative to the clasp.

A clasp which may be used for a single string or a plurality of strings.

A clasp having the strings replaceable by others of a different length or type.

A clasp suitable for replacement of the strings secured to it.

A necklace, bracelet or the like in which various numbers and kinds of strings of jewelry are easily attached and removed from the clasp which is also easily removed from the wearer.

I accomplish these and other objects by the construction herein described and shown in the drawing forming a part hereof in which;

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the application of my device.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the clasp.

Fig. 3 is a section at 33 Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan and partial section of my clasp.

Fig. 5 is a. longitudinal section of the outer member.

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the outer member.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing and in the specifications to follow.

Necklaces particularly are worn with garments having high neck lines on certain occasions and low neck lines on others and it is often desired to have the strings of jewelry such as pearls for instance of a length to suit the neck line of the garment being worn. This of course can be done by having a separate necklace suitable for each garment. Then too the occasion may demand a type of necklace or bracelet suitable for the color or type of garment being worn for instance for sports wear, evening wear, etc.

The number as well as the length and type of strings of jewelry may be desirable to change to give a greater variety and thus to suit all occasions.

The taste of the wearer may require a great number of necklaces and bracelets yet it would be possible to greatly reduce the number of strings if certain strings of jewelry could be combined with others and with this in View I have invented a clasp and means for securing numerous strings to a single clasp permitting the strings to be quickly and easily changed in the clasp.

For the sake of brevity I have herein used the term strings as applied to the strung devices which comprise the parts to be changed. A string is not necessarily the means of securing the beads or other ornaments as wires, chains etc., may of course be likewise used. a

By the use of my invention the strings may be purchased with the clasp or separately and the collection may in this way be added to from time to time to provide the variety desired.

Because of the great variety of strings I have not herein attempted to show the numerous ways in which the strings may be combined with the clasp and to those skilled in the art to which it pertains after a study of my detailed disclosure it will be apparent that numerous modifications can be made to suit my device to the numerous uses for which it is adapted without departing from the principles underlying and embodied in my invention.

I have shown the clasp as a housing having an outer member I provided at its one end with a plurality of apertures 2 which receive the spring fasteners 3 each of which is secured to one end of a string 4 on which are provided the ornaments 5, here shown as pearls. The other end of each of said strings is provided with a similar spring fastener 6 engaging one of a plurality of apertures l in the separable fastener 8 which is removably secured to the housing I into which it is easily inserted through the open end I0.

It will thus be seen that a plurality of strings may be removably secured at one end to the.

housing and at the other end to the clasp piece and that, as the separable fastener is removablev from the housing, my device may be removed from the wearer and the strings may be replaced with other strings; also one or more strings may be worn as desired.

The separable fastener is preferably provided with the tapered yielding sides ll each having a notch 12 which engages an internal rib l3 one of each of said ribs beingdisposed at the side of the housing near the open end 10. Each of the yielding sides I I is provided with an outwardly projecting operator M which extends through a slot l5 one of which is provided at each side of the housing adjacent said ribs l3 said slots extending to the open end iii of the housing permitting the free withdrawal of the separable fastener and the operators.

The operators when depressed cause the yielding sides and the notches I2 therein to disengage said ribs and permit the free movement of said clasp piece out of said housing.

The separable fastener is also preferably tapered on the bottom to a point [B which facilitates entering the separable fastener in the housing and also provides a space I! under the point l6 for the spring fasteners 3 when inserted through the apertures 2 of the housing.

In Fig. 4 I have shown the separable fastener in broken lines partially removed from the hous- While I have shown the clasp at one side in Fig. 1 in most cases its normal position is at the back center of the wearer.

The size and shape of the fasteners and the means securing the strings to the fasteners may vary as also may the means securing the fasten? ers to the clasp be modified to suit the strings and fasteners as well as the clasp. The fasteners and clasp are however limited to those strings having fasteners suitable to be removably'secured to the clasp.

I have herein shown and described in detail one construction for the purpose of illustration and clarity. I do not wish to be limited to these details however as I may Wish to depart therefrom within the scope of the appended claims which se forth my invention.

I claim:

1. In a clasp for a plurality of strings of ornaments, a housing and a separable fastener re-' movable therefrom, said housing and saidseparable fastener having apertures spaced in predetermined relation said plurality of strings of ornaments having spring fasteners at each end thereof engaging said apertures whereby all of said strings of ornaments may be removed simultaneously or each of said strings of ornaments may be removed separately, said separable fastener having yielding side members notched near the ends thereof and said housing having inwardly projecting ribs engaging said notches to removably hold said separable fastener in said housmg.

2. In a clasp for strings of ornaments having spring fasteners at each of the ends thereof, a

housing and a separable fastener removable therefrom, said strings of ornaments each having one of their ends removably secured to said housing and each of their other ends removably secured to said separable fastener, said separable fastener' having apertures in one of its ends and said spring fasteners detachably engaging said apertures, said housing having apertures in one of its ends and the spring fasteners at the other end of said strings of ornaments detachably engaging the apertures in said housing, said housing and said separable fastener covering the ends of said spring fasteners and said separable fastener entering and detachably engaging said housing at the end opposite said end having said apertures.

MILDRED LEYERS RAUER. 

